Of Sacrifices
by LeneaGibbs
Summary: Their cover had been blown. They are cornered in an alley. Only one can make it out. Just a one-shot, maybe more if I'm persuaded. Jibbs (;
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Not really sure where this came from- my plot bunnies are everywhere and I just write what they tell me.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE

Their cover had been blown.

And now they were running for their lives.

During the firefight, Jenny had finished off her rounds. She had even grown frustrated enough to chuck the now-useless gun at the advancing gang members before Gibbs had grabbed her roughly by the upper arm and drug her down another alley as they desperately searches for somewhere to hide from their attackers.

They ran down two more alleys before Gibbs suddenly grabbed her and practically threw her against the wall behind a stack of crates that blocked them from view of anyone passing by. She nearly lashed out at him for his rough treatment, but was effectively silenced when Gibbs pressed his hard body against hers, pinning her tightly against the brick wall.

She immediately grabbed onto the front of his jacket for support, fighting the adrenaline that coursed through her veins, and breathing hard from their run.

He leaned in close to her until his lips barely brushed her ear and quietly shushed her ragged breathing.

She just nodded her head wordlessly and buried her face into the crook of his neck, muffling her breath into his hoodie.

They heard voices coming toward them and she stiffened when they heard the leader say to search every ally. Leave no nook or cranny unturned.

They had to get out of here!

But before she could think up a plan, she felt Gibbs shift and he pressed his lips close to her ear once again, "Listen Jen, I'm gonna run down that alley over there, run past them and when I do, I need you start climbing up that escape ladder."

She looked up and noticed the ladder for the first time. It was a little high, but if she jumped, she would be able to reach the bottom bar.

"What about you?", she whispered.

He shook his head, refusing to meet her eyes, "Don't worry about me".

And then it dawned on her what he was saying.

He was telling her her to escape while he sacrificed himself.

"We can both make it up there-", she started, but couldn't finish because he clamped his hand over her mouth and he he got nose to nose with her.

"Yeah, and the moment they spot us, we're both dead. But my way... My way gives you a distraction so you can make a clean get away.", he whispered almost harshly as his eyes bored into hers, "No point in both of us dying".

She let out a shuddered breath as tears came to her eyes.

He removed his hand.

"You're the Director now Jen... It's my job."

She knew he was right, but God, she wished he wasn't.

She had so much she wanted to say to him...

So much she needed to apologize for.

But her throat tightened and she could barely keep the sobs at bay.

He brought both hands up to cup her face, forcing her to look up at him, and he used a thumb to wipe away a tear that she hadn't even realize escaped.

"It's okay Jen, I know. I know.", he whispered and wiped away another tear. She brought her hands up to cover his and nodded, her lips pressed tightly together.

God, she couldn't do this.

But she couldn't think of any other way to get out of here.

She was so frustrated.

"When I run, I want you to climb. Climb as fast as you can and get on the roof. Stay there until help comes or it's clear... Stay Jenny, no matter what happens. No matter what you hear... Just... Stay", and she could tell he was struggling as well.

She tightened her grasp of his hands and nodded again, choking down a sob.

"Promise me.", he said.

When she didn't, he held her tighter, "Promise me you'll stay", he demanded.

"I promise", she barely got out.

He stared at her for a moment and then, without warning, his lips were on hers.

There was nothing gentle about it.

She immediately opened her mouth to him and met his tongue with her own, desperate to convey the words she couldn't say- desperate to make this moment last.

But all too soon, he pulled away and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, "It'll be alright Jen, it'll be okay.", he murmured, though she knew he was just saying it for her benefit.

And then he let go of her.

She exhaled slowly, willing the tears away, wishing she were stronger.

He ran one last hand through her hair and then gave her a smile, which she did her best to return. He winked and then... He took off.

She immediately turned to face the wall and jumped, barely catching the bottom bar, and then hoisted herself up, willing her shaking legs to move faster as she climbed.

She tried to block out the voices as they shouted that they found him. Or the gunshots that shortly followed.

Her heart was racing a million miles an hour as she neared the top and flung herself over the edge, rolling onto her back and trying desperately to control her breathing.

She listened carefully as the shots ended and silence filled the air.

Until she heard the leader shout, "Where is the woman!", and when he received no answer, she heard the unmistakable sound of a fist hitting flesh once, twice, three times... And still she didn't hear him answer.

Oh God! They had him and she knew they would torture him until he answered before they killed him.

She covered her mouth with her hand, willing herself not to scream.

She was so weak.

The leader shouted again and then there were more fists on flesh.

Silence and then she nearly cried out when a shot went off. Shortly followed what was obviously a muffled cry from Gibbs.

"Tell me!", the leader shouted and she knew that this was it.

Either he told them or they would kill him.

She bit her thumb, terror seizing her heart at what she knew was going to happen.

And then a shot seemed to echo forever...

And silence.

A/N: Not sure if I'm gonna let this hang and let you guys decide how it ends or if I'll make it a 3 chapter thing. Either way, let me know what you think.

3 Lenea


	2. Chapter 2

disclaimer: don't own.

She didn't know how long she laid there, remembering her promise to him. The last promise she would ever make to him.

Minutes.

Hours.

She had no clue.

But by the time the sun began to set, setting the sky aflame with shades of deep purples and reds, she knew it was safe to move. They wouldn't wait around this long.

She rolled over onto her stomach and got to her feet, then walked over to the edge.

She spotted him slumped against the brick wall of the next building and stared at the figure in the alleyway- he was so still. She breathed in deeply, willing her knees to hold her weight. It seemed to take an eternity for her to climb down the ladder- her body had gone numb.

When she reached the ground, she stood there for a moment, preparing herself to see his body. She could remember the nightmares she had had in Paris about him being hurt or killed, but it was nothing compared to reality. Back then, she could roll over and he would always be there, to hold her and comfort her.

Now... Now she had to deal with the ultimate nightmare of losing him forever.

She turned around and walked the fifteen yards to his body.

When she approached, she swore it looked like he were sleeping. He was slumped back against the wall, his head tilted forward. She noticed the forming bruise on his left cheek, right under his eye.

Her eyes were drawn to the blood covering his left pant leg. It looked like the warning shot had gone into his knee. She looked up further and saw the hole in his black hoodie, right over his heart.

She covered her mouth, desperate to gain control of her emotions as her throat tightened and tears threatened to overflow.

Her sudden grief overwhelmed her.

But she couldn't cry here.

"Oh Jethro", she whispered as she knelt down next to his body.

She reached out to run her hand through his soft silver hair, and then...

His eyes opened!

They opened!

His head lifted up slightly.

"Jen", he said hoarsely.

Her eyes went wide and she was too stunned to say or do anything for a moment.

But just a moment.

"Jethro! How the hell are you- you son of a bitch- how are you alive!", she exclaimed frantically as she began to lift up his hoodie, desperately searching for the fatal wound that made her think he was dead. But as she began lifting it up, she felt Velcro and a heavy material...

He was wearing a vest!

"Oh god Jethro!", she said, clearly still worked up that he was still alive.

She whipped out her phone and called for an ambulance before hanging up.

"Jen, my knee", he groaned with his eyes shut and she could tell how much pain he was in by his tone.

She nodded her head, already working at his belt buckle, refusing to look at him. Refusing to look at his pain as a wave of guilt threatened to engulf her.

How long had she laid up there while he was down here suffering?

She slid his belt through the loops and then carefully slid it under his leg, tightening it at the thigh. He grimaced when she buckled the belt, his breath speeding up.

"It's gonna be alright Jethro", she said before placing her palm on his forehead- he was too warm.

She pulled her hoodie over her head and then placed it over his knee, putting pressure on it.

He immediately tensed up, groaning as he reached for her hands, "Jen, stop", he whispered hoarsely, pushing at her hands.

She shook her head, "Gotta keep you alive", she said, her heart jumping in sweet relief as she heard the sirens of an ambulance and their back up.

She pressed harder, desperate to not let any more blood escape through her fingers.

He squirmed slightly, the muscles in his neck tensing and he threw his back into the wall with a pitiful moan of pain escaping his lips.

The sight of him in such agony hurt her more than she could imagine.

It killed her.

Maybe that was why she she acted on instinct-

She crushed her lips to his.

And his reaction was immediate as he fisted his hand into her hair, gripping tightly as he pressed his lips harder to his.

His grip hurt, but she knew this would be a welcome distraction from the pain.

The kiss was all teeth and lips and tongue as he desperately tried to devour her. The harder she pressed the hoodie to his wound, the more demanding he became.

When air became a necessity, she backed off and she felt his grip loosen in her hair- although she could feel the reluctance.

Their eyes met, their faces only inches apart, and his head fell back against the cold wall- his eyes hooded and the pain evident in them.

It killed her to see him in this much pain, terrified her to see the amount of blood that he had already lost- and it was still flowing through her fingers.

But it was the thought of losing him that scared her the most.

She watched as his eyelids began to close slowly.

"Jethro", she said quickly, "Jethro, keep your eyes open", she pleaded.

"Hurts", he mumbled, but still opened his eyes, and she could see the effort it took just to get the words out. The adrenaline that coursed through him when she first put pressure on his knee had worn off and now he was completely exhausted.

She needed to keep him awake.

She needed to give him a reason to stay here.

Stay with her.

She let him go once- she wouldn't make that mistake again.

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a quick but passionate kiss, "Jethro, just hang in there and as soon as you're better, we'll continue what we started here. I promise, we can make it work this time around."

He looked at her lovingly, reaching up a trembling hand to brush it through her hair, almost reverent in its motion.

His hands were cold.

"I'd like that", he said quietly.

She smiled, "So just stay awake then", she said, even as his hand dropped and his eyes began to close again.

Blood was still flowing through her fingers- he was so pale.

"Jethro!", she shouted, panic rising within her, "Damn it Jethro, I love you!", she cried.

His eyes closed all the way.

She shook him- he went limp.

"No! Jethro! Don't you dare die you stupid son of a bitch!", she cried and shook him harder, his head flopping to the side.

She was going to loose him.

Again.

The tears wouldn't stop.

The ambulance came around the corner.


	3. Chapter 3

Of Sacrifices 3

Disclaimer: Don't own.

She sat in the the terribly uncomfortable chair for what seemed like days, though she knew it had only been- she looked at her phone- five hours.

She had washed the blood off of her hands and did her best get the stains off her clothes, but the dark red didn't come all the way out.

It didn't matter anyways though.

Even if she couldn't see it, she could still smell his blood on her.

The coppery scent would never come off- she was sure of it.

She thought of when the paramedics had loaded him onto the stretcher, how pale he was , how much blood was all over. She thought of the pool of blood that had been under him.

God, she was going to be sick.

She put her hand to her mouth, forcing herself to breathe evenly, even as tears had pricked at her eyes.

Why the hell had she waited so long to call for help?!

She could blame it on the shock she found herself in as she laid up there. Blame it on the promise she made him to stay up there, no matter what.

But even if she believed any of that, she would never be able to convince herself that it was her fault if he died now.

He had been losing his life blood.

She had been hiding.

Like a fucking coward.

She wiped furiously at a tear that accidentally fell down her cheek.

Damn him and the control he had over her emotions.

If she were truthful with herself- which she rarely was regarding her feelings for Gibbs- she never really had gotten over Paris.

Over him.

They had been so happy then. Hopelessly in love and then she had to let her obsession with the damn frog mess everything up. She could have ended up being happy with him.

She thought about the promise she had made him as he was bleeding out right in front of her and vaguely wondered if he was holding on to that promise like she was. He had said he would like that. And she had told him that she loved him.

She wondered if he would even remember it when he woke up.

If he woke up.

God, he had to wake up.

She was pulled from her thoughts when the door to surgery waiting room opened.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs?", a man in scrubs called into the waiting room.

She somehow got to her feet, her legs feeling almost too shaky to walk on.

A/N: I actually wrote this while I was playing hide and seek with my four brothers. I had a good hiding place and they didn't find me for like 20 minutes, lol. We just didn't have anything to do cause of the heavy snow. It's funny cause were all over 17 and playing hide and seek in the house. Anyway, last chapter will be next!

Lenea


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